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Under-floor robots warm homes and lower fuel bills

Signal of change / Under-floor robots warm homes and lower fuel bills

The floor in a home is often overlooked when it comes to insulation. It can be disruptive to gain access under the floorboards, even though they often let in cold draughts. Q-Bot uses a robot to apply a layer of insulation beneath suspended floors without any need to pull up carpets or move furniture. The robots gain access through an exterior wall, or a small hole in the floor and use on-board sensors to create 3D maps to guide installation and identify safety hazards. Insulation can be applied even in the hardest to reach underfloor areas.

So what?

Households insulated by Q-Bot reduce heat loss by an average of 25% and draughts are lessened by up to 40%, which brings down fuel bills considerably. The company, which was this year merited with an Ashden Award for Sustainable Buildings, works with Registered Social Landlords for whom low-cost, easy installation is essential, but private households are set to be offered the service in coming months.

Are developments in robotics crucial to providing affordable and intelligent ways of modernising old infrastructure? Can such innovations provide scalable solutions for countries to meet climate commitments?